Dr Haifaa Jawad of the Department of Religion and Theology offers a Muslim perspective on the controversial bill that may soon become law in the UK.
In November 2024, the House of Commons voted in favour of passing backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Currently at review stage in the Houses of Lords, the proposed new law would allow a terminally ill person to legally end their life with the help of others. But Dr Haifaa Jawad, honorary senior lecturer in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, argues such a law would run contrary to Islamic theology and the personal beliefs of many Muslims.
“A spiritual perspective on the nature of human life, and the reality of life Hereafter, leads one to the conclusion that all lives are to be revered and protected rather than ended prematurely,” says Dr Jawad. “This perspective goes to the heart of Islamic law, one of the foundational principles of which is the protection of the sanctity of life and the preservation of human dignity.”
Honorary Senior Lecturer
Biographical and contact information for Dr Haifaa Jawad, Department of Theology and Religion, University of Birmingham.
